The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals
by William J. Bennett
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Today we see little public outrage about Bill Clinton's misconduct. With enormous skill, the president and his advisors have constructed a defensive wall built of bricks left over from Watergate: diversion, half-truth, equivocation, and sophistry. It is a wall that has remained unbreached. Until now. In The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals, former cabinet secretary and bestselling author William J. Bennett dismantles the president's defenses, brick by evasive show more brick, and analyzes the meaning of the Clinton scandals: why they matter, what the public reaction to them means, and the social and political damage they have already inflicted on America. For, despite Bill Clinton's position in public opinion polls, the most persuasive public arguments made by the president's supporters wither under the clear light of moral reason and common sense. The Death of Outrage exposes the fallacious and demeaning logic that argues our economic well-being is the only important measure of presidential performance; torpedoes the deep but wholly unexamined respect for European sophistication about "private matters"; and explains why the president's troubles are not the result of a "vast, right-wing conspiracy," but are the result of his own doings. The Death of Outrage shows How the president's actions, far from being irrelevant to the conduct of his affairs, have severely restricted his ability to govern. The unprecedented recklessness of the Clinton administration in everything from influence peddling to sexual misconduct to alarming tactics of intimidation. How the president and his defenders have exploited the natural tolerance of the American people -- and made a mockery of the rule of law. Why the Clinton scandals -- from the Travel Office, to Filegate, to the Rose Law Firm billing records, to the Lewinsky Affair -- are neither a creation of the tabloid press, nor independent of one another. Bill Bennett explains why presidential character matters; why allegations of sexual misconduct need to be taken seriously; why reasoned judgment is the mark of a healthy democracy; and why the ends don't justify the means. Explosive and hard-hitting, powerful in its logic, carefully reasoned in its conclusions, The Death of Outrage is directed at a shameful chapter of American history. It is an urgent call for American citizens to repudiate the deep corruption of Bill Clinton, and the corrupting arguments made in his defense. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Much of what Bennett says is true, but the conclusions he reaches are not my conclusions. I believe it was best that Clinton was not convicted and nothing in this very anti-Clinton book changed that belief.
This book was written in 1998 and deals primarily with the Lewinsky scandal. It focuses on the public's apathy towards the President's legal, ethical, and moral failings. The book is segmented into chapters on Sex, Character, Politics, Ken Starr, Law, and Judgment. Each chapter begins with some common defenses the Clinton apologists would espouse about the Lewinsky affair. Bennett then answers each with his usual no-nonsense approach. A lot of his opinions center around the fact that the public really doesn't seem to care about what our elected officials do while in office. If the economy's good and we're not at war, then we can look the other way. He also does a good job in comparing and contrasting Lewinsky and Watergate. Not so much show more the actual crimes committed, but the underlying behavior and character flaws in the two men.
This would have been an excellent read in late 1998 while this topic was fresh. At this time, at least for me, this has been hashed and rehashed. I knew (or at least had heard) a lot of the debunking of the Clinton defenders. It was good to see things from a sociological point of view. How an accepted behavior can lead to a "dumbing down" in what's expected of future leaders. show less
This would have been an excellent read in late 1998 while this topic was fresh. At this time, at least for me, this has been hashed and rehashed. I knew (or at least had heard) a lot of the debunking of the Clinton defenders. It was good to see things from a sociological point of view. How an accepted behavior can lead to a "dumbing down" in what's expected of future leaders. show less
Reasonable job at summarizing the facts and effect of the Clinton Presidency. He documents a lot of lies and stands for character.
Bill Clinton and the assault on American ideals
Case 7 shelf 4
To Ed and Linda: With Warmest Regards
As Always, Bill
As Always, Bill
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111+ Works 22,452 Members
William John Bennett (born July 3, 1943) is an American politician and political theorist. He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (or "Drug Czar") under George H. W. Bush. Bennett was born in Brooklyn but later moved to Washington, D.C., show more where he attended Gonzaga College High School. He graduated from Williams College and went on to get a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Political Philosophy. He also has a J.D. from Harvard Law School. William J. Bennett is Codirector of Empower American and Chairman and Founder of K12, an Internet based elementary and secondary school. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife, Elayne, and their two sons. (Publisher Provided) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals
- People/Characters
- Bill Clinton
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government, History
- DDC/MDS
- 973.929092 — History & geography History of North America United States 1901- 1953-2001 Administration of Bill Clinton, 1993-2001 Standard subdivisions Biography
- LCC
- E886.2 .B47 — History of the United States United States Later twentieth century, 1961-2000 Clinton's administrations, 1993-2001
- BISAC
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- Reviews
- 6
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- (3.35)
- Languages
- English
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- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 5
